Reading wonderful life of Shri Ramakrishna deva, a group of youngsters of Bhuj got inspired and came forward with an establishment of Shri Ramakrishna Yuvak Mandal, Bhuj on 24-5-1969 to initiate daily prayer in 4×6 sq.ft. room, then made available. Cultural classes for children in the Ramakrishna colony constructed by Ramakrishna Mission became an initiating service project of Mandal. After five years ‘Bharatiya Sanskriti Seva Mandal’ offered a small room, which with establishment of Shri Ramakrishna’s photo in it, served as daily prayer-room along-with accommodation for library and other spiritual & educational activities. During the severe drought situation of 1974, Shri Ramakrishna Ashram, Rajkot had opened mass feeding centre at Dhaneti and members of Mandal joined noble project. Later, Swami Atmasthanandaji Maharaj, then President of Shri Ramakrishna Ashram, Rajkot, visited Mandal and became its member happily paying membership fees which then was Rs. 6/-. Further with his mediation, Mandal received a letter from Revered Swami Vireshwaranandaji Maharaj, then President of Ramakrishna Order, conveying his blessings. During Temple consecration ceremony at Shri Ramakrishna Ashram, Rajkot, in 1979; members of Mandal served as the volunteers and many of them got spiritual initiation from Revered Swami Vireshwaranandaji Maharaj. Before this, in 1977, Swami Ranganathanandaji Maharaj, visited Mandal and his spiritual lecture was organised for the people of Bhuj. Twenty five years of successful spiritual service helped the Mandal in achieving a plot of land in Samskar Nagar. After completion of necessary construction, Prarthana Mandir was inaugurated in 1999 by Swami Jitatmanandaji Maharaj, then President of Shri Ramakrishna Ashram, Rajkot. In 2000 entire campus consisting Prarthana Mandir, Monk’s quarters, Dispensary, Library and Book-sales section; was consecrated by Swami Atmasthanandaji Maharaj, then Vice-president of Ramakrishna Order. Later in the same year, Mandal could successfully purchase a plot of six acres land on Kolki Road to start educational and social service activities from there.

Our Present Activities

From Samskar Nagar: This Mandal, at present is serving the devotees with daily Mangal Arati, Puja, Evening Arati, reading from the Gospel of Shri Ramakrishna, devotional singing; along with providing befitting venue for the personal meditation & prayers. Shri Ramnam-sankirtan is conducted here on every Ekadasi day. The birth-anniversaries of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Saradadevi & Swami Vivekananda are celebrated here with Special Puja, Homa, public feeding, public meetings & cultural programs annually. Lectures by the monks & scholars are organised occasionally. Spiritual initiation by the President and Vice-Presidents of Ramakrishna Order is also organised as and when it becomes possible.

Vivekananda library for children, Vivekananda public-library with the special section for Ramakrishna-Vivekananda literature, reading room, book-sale counter and dispensary (Sarada Chikitsalaya with token registration fee) units are serving the people of Bhuj. Mandal has organised propagation of the dynamic teachings of Swami Vivekananda in entire Kutch area, through ‘Vivekananda Gyan-Jyot Rath’. Occasional organisation of Youth-week, Lok-mela, exhibitions depicting life & teaching of Swami Vivekananda through pictures & panels, and book fairs in various educational & other institutions marks the special sale of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda & Vedanta literature with 50% discount.

Distribution of fruits & biscuits to the patients in Bhuj Civil Hospital on every Sunday, occasional organisation of free diagnostic camps and Eye check-up camps with provision of free medicines & cataract operation for the rural people nearby, providing to the needy patients equipment like tricycle, clutches etc., are the medical services rendered by Mandal.

Kits containing day-to-day useful materials, ration-kits are supplied to poor families every month along with vessels, blankets, cloths as & when needed.

Text-books, note-books, school-bags, school-uniforms, sweaters are provided to the school-children annually. For the students, various competitions like recitation, elocution, essay-writing, painting, singing, etc. are also organised annually.

Functions like Swacchhata Abhiyan and plantation of trees are organised occasionally.

From Kolki Road Campus: Under child-development project, 60 children are adopted, who are served with nutritious snacks daily, taken care by supplying their needs like text-books, note-books, school-bags, school-uniforms, napkins & other toiletry items. Regular coaching classes for the students from class V to class X are conducted. Vivekananda Balak Sangha has become special attraction of every Sunday. Vocational training classes like sewing, embroidery, computer-operation, mud-work, Mehndi for ladies are conducted regularly. To & fro their residence free bus service is provided for all these students. Moreover, Shri Ramnam Sankirtan on every Ekadashi and Bhajans on every full moon day are organised here. In addition to this, education classes for adults are also conducted.

Mandal had active participation in celebrations of 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, by conducting effectively Gadadhar Abhyuday Prakalpa, Swami Akhandananda Sewa Prakalpa and Vivekananda Swastha Pariseva Prakalpa continuation of which are present activities from Kolki Road Campus.

‘Vivekananda Swadhyayamala’ project conducted by Shri Ramakrishna Ashram, Rajkot; and Swami Vivekananda Quiz Competitions conducted by Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Memorial, Vadodara (till 2017) are other two projects made popular amongst the students by Mandal. Sets, each consisting of 32 books related to Swami Vivekananda; have been presented to the selected schools.

In addition to above activities at Bhuj regularly or periodically, Mandal has participated in the relief works like: Drought situation during 1972 to 1975, flood situation during 1992 & 2011, cyclone of 1999 and disastrous earthquake of 2001. Mandal is also active to collect & send help during devastating situation anywhere in the nation.

Mandal is proud of its active members. Sri Yagneshbhai Hathi, once upon a time the member and effective executive of Mandal has joined Ramakrishna Order and is now Secretary of Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Memorial, Porbandar. Ex-president of Mandal Sri Bakuleshbhai Dholakiya has served as the convenor of Gujarat Ramakrishna Vivekananda Bhav Prachar Parishad for a long period.

At present Mandal has ambition to acquire the building of late Sri Motichand Lalchand, then Diwan of Kutch, where Swami Vivekananda stayed in Bhuj during his visit to Kutch in 1891-92; and convert it into Swami Vivekananda Memorial. Also Mandal is looking forward to handover its entire activities along with property to Ramakrishna Order, as and when the authorities of Ramakrishna Order agree to start its affiliated centre for the better benefit of local devotees and society of Kutch. It will not be out of context to quote here that Mandal has won Sister Nivedita Trophy. As a registered member of Gujarat Ramakrishna Vivekananda Bhav Prachar Parishad, donations to the Mandal are exempted from income-tax under section 80(G). Mandal is also registered in the Charity Commissioners Office in the name ‘Shri Ramakrishna Yuvak Mandal, Bhuj’.

Contact details :
Shri Ramakrishna Prarthna Mandir
Prasadi plot, Sanskar nagar, Bhuj – Kutch-370001, Contact no. 9979503231

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